I knew it was Woody Allen because a recent picture of him had been published only two days before in the New York :Post.
Woody Allen replied, "That's a great idea". Then, he walked around the back side of the black limo he was already getting into and got in before I could offer Woody Allen a free ride in my taxi.
I was going to explain to Woody Allen that the true mark of a famous man is that he has ridden in Sam Sloan's taxi. I was going to offer to make him famous by giving him a free ride to anywhere he wanted to go.
I drove around the block and asked the doorman standing there if that was indeed that great and famous man. He acknowledged that it was and complained that I had almost hit him with my taxi. I had missed Woody Allen by less than five inches, the doorman complained.
He was the doorman at the Sherry Netherland Hotel. He explained that Woody Allen had been dining at the Harry Cipriani restaurant next door.
It had been apparent that Woody Allen had helped a companion get in the left side of the taxi and was getting ready to walk around to the other side when I drove up. I never saw the companion, but it likely may have been Soon Yi.
Had he allowed me to drive him around the block, I could have pitched him on one of my movie ideas. Unfortunately, Woody Allen does not do my kind of movies.
Another famous person who rode in my taxi on the same evening was Lauren Glassberg, WABC Channel 7 television newscaster, who presents financial news. I told her that she is very beautiful and this must be a big advantage in her profession. "Otherwise, I would be doing radio", Lauren Glassberg replied.